Dodgers Winning Streak Snapped in San Francisco

It was a frustrating loss to the one team who always seems to make it annoyingly hard. The infield singles and star-aligned catches are par for the course when the Giants take on the Dodgers. Everything seems to go the Giants way, and the Dodgers can’t do anything right.

Brett Anderson‘s performance was forgettable. Even though the Giants collected those lucky type hits which seemed to find their holes magically, Anderson still wasn’t sharp. Adrian Gonzalez also had a bad night going 0-for-3 with a costly two-run error. Pedro Baez imploded, and he allowed the first homerun by a Dodger reliever this season in the eigth inning.

Good things, too. Puig, who was back in the lineup, had two hits. Alex Guerrero had a nice RBI double as well.

Tim Lincecum pitched well, and the Giants have found a new pick up in Justin Maxwell who is surely to become the next M.V.P. now that he is on the Giants. There is always one of those every year in San Francisco.

The Dodgers drop to 9-4 on the season, and they’re winning streak is snapped by their pumpkin-colored foes.

Dodgers 2 7 1

Giants 6 13 0

WP- Lincecum (1-1)

LP- Anderson (1-1)

S- Casilla (5)

HR- Maxwell (1)

Both teams singled in the first inning, but neither scored.

"“A slumping Buster Posey coming up.” -Vin Scully"

Posey proceeded to line out softly to Howie Kendrick at second for the third out of the first inning.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and never looked back. It could have been worse if Yasiel Puig didn’t make a great running catch on a ball hit well by Andrew Susac. That was important, because the next batter, Justin Maxwell, tripled off the glove of a diving Joc Pederson in center field. Brandon Crawford was doing typical Giant things, and his drag bunt single brought in the run with Maxwell.

In the top of the third, Joc Pederson reached third base after he singled, but the Dodgers ended up stranding the birthday boy after Tim Lincecum got Puig to pop out to their shortstop Crawford to end the frame.

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The Giants scored on three straight hits against Brett Anderson in the home half of the third. Joe Panik, Angel Pagan and Buster Posey all singled, and of course the Giants hit infield singles just out of reach of the Dodgers in typical form.

The Dodgers grounded into a third double play in the fourth. After Adrian Gonzalez’s leadoff walk, Howie Kendrick ruined the mood by grounding into the dreaded D.P.

The bottom of the fourth got ugly. The Giants put another two runs on the board. There was another infield single by Susac, then Brandon Crawford doubled to right field. Aoki singled on a ball hit to Adrian Gonzalez who threw to first base where Brett Anderson wasn’t covering. Gonzo got the error, but Anderson couldn’t get to the bag quick enough to cover. TWO RUNS scored on that disastrous play, and it was suddenly 4-0 San Francisco.

Don Mattingly wisely batted for Brett Anderson in the fifth. Juan Uribe doubled with one out, and then pinch-hitter Alex Guerrero doubled in Uribe putting a run on the board for the Dodgers finally.

Brett Anderson pitched 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks on 72 pitches.

Brett Anderson did not impress in his start at AT&T Park in Tuesday’s Dodger loss. Photo: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Nicasio took over for the battered Brett Anderson in the bottom of the fifth and into the sixth inning. He pitched well in the fifth, but he put two base runners on in the sixth.

Adam Liberatore was brought in, and battled pinch-hitter Matt Duffy and won. Liberatore gave the Giants a taste of their own medicine, and Duffy grounded into…yep a double play.

The Dodgers hit into their FOURTH double play in the top of the sixth which started off well enough. Yasiel Puig got his second hit of the game leading off. Very good. It’s nice to have Puig back in the lineup, but I really hope his hamstring is healthy.

Then the Giants cursed magic came into play. Lincecum struck out Gonzalez which was a huge out for the Giants. Then Howie Kendrick grounded into yet another double play. Don Mattingly challenged the call at first, but the call was upheld. Howie looked barely safe to me, but of course the tide turns to the Giants favor and there’s no going back at this point.

Tim Lincecum pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks on 85 pitches.

The Dodgers go down quietly in order in the seventh against Jeremy Affeldt.

"“The breeze blows, the rivalry continues.” -Vin Scully"

The Giants threatened again in the seventh inning. Pedro Baez took over for Liberatore in a DonnieSwitch with Justin Turner at third. Buster Posey, who had been struggling, picked up his second hit of the game with two outs. Luckily Casey McGehee exists, and he struck out swinging on a Baez slider to strand the runners at the corners.

Jeremy Affeldt walked Joc Pederson-perhaps a birthday gift-to start the eighth inning. Bruce Bochy went to his bullpen, and he brought in Sergio Romo to face Turner who grounded into a 5-4 force play. Jimmy Rollins walked. Justin Maxwell made a fantastic sliding catch in left field to retire Puig. Maxwell slammed into the outfield wall, but he seemed to be okay. The runners advanced to second and third.

Bochy had enough of Romo, and he brought in Javier Lopez to pitch to Adrian Gonzalez. Lopez got his guy. Gonzo grounded out to second. Sigh.

Four double plays.

Anderson and Baez both balked.

Adrian Gonzalez’s error allowed two runs to score.

A lost reviewed play.

A Justin Maxwell two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth off of Baez.

The end.

That homerun allowed by Baez to Maxwell was actually the first homerun allowed by the Dodger bullpen this season.

Paco Rodriguez got the last two outs of the bottom of the eighth, but the Dodgers were down by five with only three outs remaining.

The Dodgers got a little rally going in the top of the ninth against Jean Machi. Kendrick singled to center, and Scott Van Slyke managed an infield single on a grounder to third. Joc Pederson walked to load the bases up with two outs after Andre Ethier grounded out. Bochy went to his pen once again, and he brought in Santiago Casilla to pitch to Turner. Casilla promptly uncorked a wild pitch, and Kendrick scored. It was too little too late. JT grounded out, and the Dodgers lost their first game in a week.

Wednesday night will be the matchup of the season so far (Clayton Kershaw versus James Shields on Opening Day was pretty neat as well). 2014 National League M.V.P. Clayton Kershaw will counter 2014 World Series M.V.P. Madison Bumgarner in game two.

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